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__ THE WILLIAMS LAKE TRIBUNE CENTENNIAL EDITION

L SALUTE

from

illiams Lake’s First Planer Mill

Looking back over a century of history in
British Columbia, 10 years is not a long time,
but back in 1948 what is now the Cariboo’s
most important industry was just in its in-
fancy. In 1948 there was no planer mill in this
area and only about seven sawmills.

The first mill, shown at the left, was small,
producing from seven to eight hundred thou-
sand feet of planed lumber a month. But
through the years more equipment was added,
and the mill that straddled the village bound-
ary produced-in its peak year of 1956 some
34 million feet of lumber.

Management has not changed since the
company started ten years ago, and its key
men have grown with it. Gordon Bruce, now a
vice-president, was foreman of construction
when the mill was first built and remained to
superintend the operation. Plant superinten-
dent Stewart Smith, now a director of the firm,
started working for Lignum in 1950 as a book-
keeper.

Early in 1948 Leslie J. Kerr decided to
expand his operations from Quesnel to Wil-
liams Lake and he formed the company of
Lignum Ltd. Construction on Williams Lake’s
first planer mill started that spring and in
June the first carload of lumber was shipped
from its yard.

Bs
Williams Lake Planer

Company operations have expan-
ded too. In 1950 a sawmill was
started at Likely. This mill, Likely
Sawmills, produces 30,000 feet a
day.

This spring a sawmill and
planer mill at Springhouse was
purchased. The company, Springs
Lumber, planes 30,000 feet a day
and produces the same amount in
sawn lumber. .

Lignum Ltd., is growing with
the Cariboo.

La

Likely Springhouse

UM LID

MANUFACTURERS OF ROUGH & DRESSED LUMBER FROM CARIBOO FORESTS